


Moodboards (SBW 2017)

by SunsetScomiche



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bisexual Bruce Banner, College, DTR, Demisexual Tony Stark, Genderqueer Bruce Banner, Happy Ending, I just did it for the subtle character hints, Moodboards, NSFW, Other, Pride, Science Bros Week 2017, Trans Tony Stark, don't laugh at me I'm sure MIT doesn't have padlocked entry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2017-07-16
Packaged: 2018-12-26 11:43:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 3,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12058290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunsetScomiche/pseuds/SunsetScomiche
Summary: A/N: So, I was hit with a bit of inspiration to create a series of moodboards with accompanying ficlets for Science Bros Week. In relation to my recent coming out as bi, and the need for love and encouragement in the community that I felt during Pride Month, I wanted to create something that supported our rights and celebrated our beliefs. <3The original series of posts can be foundhere.





	1. Bruce — Pending

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: So, I was hit with a bit of inspiration to create a series of moodboards with accompanying ficlets for Science Bros Week. In relation to my recent coming out as bi, and the need for love and encouragement in the community that I felt during Pride Month, I wanted to create something that supported our rights and celebrated our beliefs. <3
> 
> The original series of posts can be found [here](https://sunsetscomiche.tumblr.com/tagged/moodboards).

He'll be headed off to MIT this fall. He can't deny that he's nervous. It's his first time attending a private school. He's checked their automated applications database a million times, -it's  _ much _ faster than regular mail- but he runs his name through the system again anyway.    
  
The floating projector hovers in front of him as the web page's archives load. Bruce's eyes lull down as the doubt rises in his throat. He refocuses on the logo plastered across the bottom of the screen: "STARK." Tony Stark had truly reinvented technology with his work. Bruce wonders what kind of crazy, Ivy League-level school  _ he'll _ be attending this fall.    
  
Or, is it  _ she _ now? Recently, Stark had been fairly abuzz in the news media for a decision to change gender.   
  
Stark had posted a few things on social media about how the transition was going, but Bruce hadn't seen much. That doesn't mean he isn't supportive of people's rights. Tony Stark can do whatever he damn well wants. He's rich, after all. But, with college impending, and trying to plan a small family grad party around final exams, and so much more going on, Bruce just hasn't had the time to keep up with the kardashians the way he usually would.    
  
Still waiting for the page to load, Bruce clicks over to look up how Stark's huge choice is going so far. He just catches the tail end of an evening report. It tells him what he already knows as the reporter's shrill-toned voice reads out, "We will continue bringing you all the latest news on Stark's recent gender-bending decision, which comes just after his move away from his former home in Malibu, as Stark begins heading for college up North."    
  
Bruce tilts his head, wondering if maybe Stark had waited until now to make the transition because his parents hadn't supported him. He wonders how hard that must be, but then he remembers that he kind of already knows.    
  
Yeah, Bruce has a stereotypically masculine body, and he goes by "he," and it's nice when people find him attractive, but he doesn't always love having girls swooning over him. The attention is a little bit much sometimes. So, if he can support the idea that gender doesn't have to be so-  _ binary _ , then he will, no matter if his parents like it or not.    
  
The system loads, finally, but the records still read <paperwork pending> on the school's end. It's no problem; with his GPA and academic achievements, he knows he'll be in. It's just a matter of time.    



	2. Tony — Rush

They must think he's some sort of genius. They're sending him to _MIT?_   
  
Tony stands there, trying to swallow and soothe his drying throat as he stares at the acceptance letter in his hand. He hadn't even _applied!_ His parents must have sent in the paperwork without telling him.   
  
"We wanted it to be a surprise!" Maria beams as he looks up at her, his eyes forlorn. She reaches to wrap her arms around him, and he falters for something to say under his dad's nearby scrutinizing glare.  
  
'You _will_ accept this,' it says. 'You have no choice.'  
  
"Uh, thanks, Mom. Dad. This is-"  
  
Inventing things was just his hobby, something he loved to do. But, if he could make a career out of it, then-   
  
"-great."   
  


* * *

  
When his parents had found out about his interest in science and technology, they had immediately milked it for everything it was worth. The Stark Family  _ had _ to make money, after all. They'd put him in just about every program around, exposing him to the press early on.  

****He had made headlines when he was quite young, winning science competitions all through middle school, and racking up money for his parents' "dream college fund". They had pushed him and pushed him to do more, and eventually, he'd told them that it was starting to stress him out. He had lost some of his fire for inventing. They had consoled him, and reminded him that they just wanted the best life for him; the kind their parents never had. So, after that, he stayed quiet, kept out of the buzz, and tried to enjoy his tech in private, building things and learning how the world worked.  
  
But, he was lonely. No one who wanted to talk to him in high school was ever real or cool or down to earth enough to interest him, and he would get bored easily. So, he spent his time scrolling tumblr and, when he did go out, using his effortless snark to make people laugh. It worked, at least.   
  
In his Junior year, he had found the courage to come out to his parents, saying that he liked boys as well as girls, and having to explain what 'demisexual' meant to two people whose sexual prime had been sometime in the 60's. Then, his heart racing, he finally told them how he felt that he didn't fit inside his own body, after all these years. They had been very quiet the whole time, but Tony's heart sank when they excused themselves and left the room to discuss it. That couldn't possibly mean good news. When his parents returned, they let him stay in the house, because they couldn't risk his chances at attending a private university. But, they never supported him transitioning, and they wouldn't pay for any of it. Perhaps they thought that it was "just a phase," and that he would grow out of it as school went on, and then he would just date girls.   
  
Instead, Tony had gotten a job over his last two years in high school, and he'd saved every penny he made after that, to start paying for the makeup he wanted, the doctor's visits he would need, the surgeries it would take to get him feeling _right_ in his own body again.   
  
He'll be moving out on his own tomorrow. He'll have to beat rush hour to get there, but he is _so_ ready. It's just a matter of time.   
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Sources: ['Mx.’](http://ganet.tumblr.com/image/162225679082), [’Females’ quote](https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=lW71fFmK&id=3EDAA97BA8C06CADA8C1F4E4A4AD171CEB414B72&thid=OIP.lW71fFmKd88e1vubGHZNHQEsEs&q=females+are+strong+as+hell+edit+red+and+yellow+tumblr&simid=608014242271596057&selectedIndex=0&ajaxhist=0), [Tony’s car](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/299207968977000657/), [Sunset](https://bibzoom.dk/musikartikler/ugens-sang-solen-er-s%C3%A5-r%C3%B8d-mor))


	3. Bruce — Pierce

As it turns out, Bruce didn’t have much to worry about in coming to college. Yes, the fifteen-foot ceilings and padlocked entry had scared him at first, but overall, he was content. The dorms were nice, even if the food sucked, and being away from home made studying a breeze. He was successful, and people had started to latch on to him. Most of them just wanted the answers to the latest assignments, and sometimes he would have to put on headphones and sunglasses to get away for a while, but nevertheless, Bruce felt happy. Of course, some of that might’ve just been the nice new toy he’d bought himself after moving in, but oh well. He has managed to pierce through the outer layer of true independence, and he is _not_ looking back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Sources: [genderqueer flag art](https://sp8cebit.tumblr.com/post/161745366557/happy-pride-these-designs-are-available-as) by sp8cebit, [mint pencils](https://mintxxturquoise.tumblr.com/post/151189959034/school-supplies#notes), [’your gender is valid’](https://sunsetscomiche.tumblr.com/post/162385997810) art by zacchaeuscrafts, [backpack and headphones](https://mintxxturquoise.tumblr.com/post/150348265339#notes))


	4. Tony — Pierce

College is even better than Tony had expected. The campus is beautiful, the- well, the classes are still boring, but the people are stunning. What more could she ask for? It even feels good to change her pronoun, now that the transition has finally begun. She’s been on the phone with more doctors than she can count, and the thought of things piercing her skin as they start the first incision in surgery has been on her mind for weeks, but she’s so happy to get this started that she doesn’t even think about it. Tonight, Tony makes a post -the last one as a demiboy- before it all begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Sources: [blue galaxy](http://www.scienceclarified.com/Ci-Co/Constellation.html), [building in neon](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/467037423834328923/), [billionaire boys club](https://68.media.tumblr.com/005b180fed2b87be804132f0f18edb07/tumblr_n2clzrbQDm1retgtho1_500.jpg), [probability formula](https://twitter.com/erravanc))


	5. Tony — Triumph

It’s been a little over a month now, and while Tony is still adjusting to life in her new body, she feels great. Everything was a success, the doctors had made sure of it, and Tony had returned to classes not long after the procedures had finished.  
  
Stepping out of her 8 am class now, Tony feels lighter and more free than she has in years.  
  
And then it happens.

Bruce Banner goes walking down the green, and her gut sinks, because _now_ she remembers. There’s a quiz in molecular bio today, class starts in four minutes, and she hasn’t studied. Normally, that class is an easy A as long as she glances at the notes, but with all that’s been going on, she hasn’t even had time to think about it.  
  
“Banner!”  
  
Tony shouts, and she just catches Bruce before he walks off. She hopes he won’t be too upset; people have been haggling Bruce for answers all semester.  
  
He stops, looking a bit confused, but he’s standing there and listening, and that’s enough.  
  
“Hi! I’m Tony. I know we haven’t met, but I’m in your bio class?”  
  
He nods, and Tony feels a bit of relief, but her mouth is still going a million miles a minute.  
  
“Yeah, so we have that quiz today, and I’ve just been _really_ busy these past few weeks and I don’t need answers or anything, just, like, what’s the quiz gonna cover? Are there math problems? What-”  
  
“Tony.” Bruce speaks as if he’s laying a blanket over her fears. “It’s nice to meet you. Don’t worry, the quiz is open book.”  
  
“-kind of problems are on it? Do I need to memorize formulas? How will I- Wait, what? It is?”  
  
Well, this is awkward. Here she is in the middle of this rant to a complete stranger, and the stupid quiz doesn’t even matter. Tony could do an open book quiz in her sleep. Anyone could. _Now_ what’s she supposed to say?  
  
Bruce sort of chuckles, “Yeah, it is, but that guy still isn’t taking it easy. There are probably trick questions and stuff. Here, walk with me and I’ll show you.”  
  
Bruce pulls out his handbook, and they spend the rest of the walk going over theories and exchanging questions, most of them aimed incredulously at the professor. By the time they reach the building, Tony feels like she’s read the whole book, front to back. More than that, she thinks she might have finally found a friend, and that feels like the greater triumph. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Sources: [backpack](http://favim.com/image/3846826/), [calculator](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/502573639650117668/), [trans flag](https://sp8cebit.tumblr.com/post/161745366557/happy-pride-these-designs-are-available-as), [reading](http://teacoffeebooks.tumblr.com/post/117635528571), [coffee](http://favim.com/image/3826647/))
> 
> *If you’re interested, I came across a [site](https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/biology/7-28-molecular-biology-spring-2005/index.htm) for an actual molecular bio class at MIT.


	6. Bruce — Eclipse

__

_There’s an eclipse happening here, and they both know it._

**Bruce**  
Meeting Tony Stark had been a whirlwind. First, a quiz. Then, a coffee to say ‘thank you.’ Next, a late night study binge for the mid-term, and so on. Only a few months ago, Bruce had thought that Tony would be in another part of the country, already impressing other great minds with her talents. Of course he’d been surprised when Tony had walked into his bio class on that first day. But, she had been so quiet and had kept to herself so much at first. Bruce hadn’t wanted to bother her, but he can’t imagine what this semester would be like without her now.  
  
It’s true, ever since that first day, they’ve been talking and exchanging notes nonstop. Tony is brilliant, and learning about her transformation has been so inspiring.  
  
And yeah, they see each other a lot, -they practically don’t hang out with anyone else anymore- but Bruce can’t think of a better person to spend his first year in college with.

 

**Tony**

Tony remembers how closed off she’d been at home.

That has started to change since she met Bruce.

She still scrolls the web endlessly, -almost as endlessly as she spits out witty quips- but with Bruce, she actually _wants_ to go out and have fun, even if they’re not doing much of anything.

And if she spends a little more time perfecting her makeup before they go out, then who’s to judge? They’re just friends anyway.  
  
  
**Bruce & Tony**  
They’re sitting outside at the Sonic just down the street from Tony’s dorm when Bruce finally says it.  

“We kind of hang out a lot, don’t we?”

He says it sheepishly, with a smile on his lips and so many questions behind his eyes.

Tony smiles, wondering if Bruce knows how good his arms look in that shirt, and then she stops. Maybe Bruce is right. They _have_ become pretty close friends.

Tony replies, “I mean, sure, but I think I’m pretty happy with that, don’t you?“

She gives him a smirk, but her eyes show her insecurities.

Bruce pauses for a moment before he decides, “Yeah. I am, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Sources: [Eclipse](https://www.space.com/35437-great-american-eclipse-august-2017-astronomy-sun-moon.html), Credit: NASA/Romeo Durscher, [ice cream](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/547609635910566285/), [coffee and books](http://favim.com/image/2766853/), [pizza and fries](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/322992604509139956/), [demisexuality defined](http://wiki.asexuality.org/Demisexual))


	7. Tony — Yours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone! Here is the final serving of my moodboards set for this year’s Science Bros Week. I have had so much fun making these, and I truly hope you all have enjoyed them. Fair warning, there is some smut in this one, but it’s completely skippable. (A friend dared me to write a “het” smut scene in thirty minutes or less, so this is what I came up with.) Also, *woopsy daisy!* I didn’t get to mention that Bruce is bisexual in this little story, so here’s an homage to that! :D So much love to all of you, and Happy Science Bros Week. <3

****

**Tony**

“I think- I think this is yours,” Tony chokes out as she hands Bruce the jacket that has been thrown over her couch for days.

The year is almost over; everyone has to be moved out by the end of the week.

And that means that Bruce has to go home for the summer, and Tony needs to get moved into her new apartment soon. She invited Bruce over to help, but packing up is turning out to be harder than she thought.

She pushes back the tears around her waterline and tries to smile as she turns to look at Bruce, but the softness in his eyes just makes her resolve crack even more.

As calm as always, he steps over, accepts the jacket, and wraps his arms around her. She cries a little, not for the time they’ll lose over the next few months, but for how much she’s been able to trust him during the time that they’ve had. They haven’t even kissed yet, but already, she feels more connected to him than she ever has to anyone else.

And maybe it’s for good reason, because as soon as she takes that calming breath in and steps back, his fingers reach out to hold her chin, and slowly, gently, he presses his lips to hers.

For the first time in a long time, Tony wants a male jacket to be her own.

 

**Bruce**

Going back home has been hard. It’s not just dealing with his parents again or the stress of finding a summer job. He misses Tony, _so_ much.

They text and video chat constantly, but it’s not enough. Bruce wants her there with him, talking, laughing, maybe even more…

That first and last kiss had been too much and not enough all rolled into one. He had been working up the courage for it all year, ever since she’d yelled his name across the lawn at MIT. But since he left, it’s been on his mind constantly.

And honestly, if she sends him _one_ more dark-lit shot of that glorious body, captioned with another witty remark, he might just lose it.

He tries, but this just isn’t enough.

 

**Bruce**

No one is really sure how it happens. Bruce just steps through the door and kisses her; long and slow at first, but then she’s pulling him in over the threshold, wrapping her arms around his neck, breathing in his scent. She moans like she’s felt the distance between them just as much as he has, and it makes him want to cry and throw her back against the bed all at once. He’s only been in her new apartment once or twice, but it doesn’t matter. She drags him all the way to her bedroom and before he knows it, he’s ripping the buttons on his shirt apart and she’s staring at him in surprise, wondering, just like him, _How did we get here?_

He chuckles, and she laughs, but she steps back into his space, staring deeply into his eyes, cradling her arms over his shoulders, and returning his first long, slow kiss with her own. His hands travel of their own accord. They find her waist and the small of her back, and she smiles against his lips at how it feels to be held by him again. It’s a little sappy but she admits, “I’ve missed you,” and he’s grateful, because _oh,_ how he has missed her.

Lost for words to describe it, he just trails his lips over hers, teasing her with the barest of touch, and then lifting the angle just slightly, so that she has to reach for it. She lets a broken sound escape onto his tongue, and he tries not to shake with nerves as he licks the plump center of her lip. She accepts it eagerly, opening her lips to touch the tip of his tongue to her own. He is careful, and they dance tandem circles around each other for a while. Until finally, Tony just pulls him in, and then they kiss until she can’t breathe. When they finally part, she doesn’t catch a breath before she’s dropping to her knees and his eyes are blowing wide. His hands find her hair, rubbing the back of her neck as he pulls on it to make her look at him.

“Are you sure,” he asks, even though the eyes staring back at him are full of want. She just smirks, tearing open his jeans in response.

And yes, they’ll have to start comparing notes on their summer projects; he can’t wait to hear what genius ideas Tony has invented, and he’s sure that she’ll want to hear about his new job.

But for now, this is enough. Just to touch and be touched and know that the other is there, that this is real, and that they won’t be leaving. Tony doesn’t know it yet, so maybe that’s why, when they’re basking in the afterglow and the warm sunset that cascades in from Tony’s window, Bruce tells her, “I’m yours, you know. Every part of me. I know that with the transition, it probably feels like I’m in the leading role here, but you have my heart, Tony. It’s yours, if you want it.”

Tony turns to look at him from her space in the crook of his arm. She lays her hand gently against his chest, and as she speaks, her tone portrays the care she’s taking with him. “Of course I do. I never thought… _this_ would happen. Meeting you, forming a friendship like ours, falling in love… Bruce, this might sound a bit strong, but I’ve never wanted anything more.”

For a moment, Bruce is quiet as he soaks in the magnitude of what they’ve said. He notices that Tony hasn’t moved, or stopped staring at him, so he turns and looks into her eyes. Taking her hand, he smiles and answers, “Neither have I.”

 

**Tony & Bruce**

Bruce laughs, slipping his hand into Tony’s as they dance, the fireflies joining around them as glasses clink and people cheer.

It’s a little cliche that Tony picked Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours” as the first song on the playlist for the reception, but the more he thinks about it, the more he loves it.

He twirls Tony around and smiles as she laughs, watching her as the lyrics continue to sink in.

_Open up your mind and see like me._

Bruce thinks of Howard and Maria, seated on the front row at the wedding, watching as Bruce had taken Tony’s hand and slipped that gorgeous diamond ring onto her finger.

It has been a long road, but Tony has never been happier than when she stared into Bruce’s eyes while her parents watched, and echoed her affirmations to him from years before, when she’d so carefully held his heart in her hand.

_It’s yours, if you want it._

“Of course I do.”

_The End_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Sources: [house](http://weheartit.com/entry/243111600), [street](http://favim.com/image/2939682/), [bisexual flag](http://favim.com/image/2939682/), [clouds](https://favim.com/image/2611586/), [phone](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/303852306088103350/))

**Author's Note:**

> (Sources: [Books](https://inthemixingbowl.wordpress.com/2015/11/02/my-favorite-non-fiction-books/), [SI logo](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/332773859956437159/sent/?sfo=1&sender=332773997374625758&invite_code=346244929e1b4f24b66e9f8bbcac959e), [Forest & Road](http://petrich0rr.tumblr.com/post/44027701343), [Baker House](https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Baker_House,_MIT_-_IMG_5561.JPG), [MIT logo](http://wonderfulengineering.com/mit-wallpapers-backgrounds-massachusetts-institute-of-technology/), [Bike](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BMW-Motorrad_mit_Beiwagen.JPG))


End file.
